Inspirations Behind Film's Favorite Characters

Miss Piggy

The inspiration behind everyone’s favorite puppet pig is late singer Peggy Lee. Bonnie Erickson, the artist behind Miss Piggy’s original design, was a huge fan of the singer. "When I first created Miss Piggy, I called her Miss Piggy Lee — as both a joke and an homage. Peggy Lee was a very independent woman, and Piggy certainly is the same," Lee told Smithsonian magazine in 2008. "But as Piggy's fame began to grow, nobody wanted to upset Peggy Lee, especially because we admired her work. So, the Muppet's name was shortened to Miss Piggy." —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

(Photos: Cindy Ord/Getty)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

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From Real Life t...Ever wonder who your favorite movie characters are based on? Find out the real-life inspirations behind some of Hollywood’s most beloved film personalities. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

(Photos: Gareth Cattermole, Kevin Winter, Keystone/Getty)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Miss PiggyThe inspiration behind everyone’s favorite puppet pig is late singer Peggy Lee. Bonnie Erickson, the artist behind Miss Piggy’s original design, was a huge fan of the singer. "When I first created Miss Piggy, I called her Miss Piggy Lee — as both a joke and an homage. Peggy Lee was a very independent woman, and Piggy certainly is the same," Lee told Smithsonian magazine in 2008. "But as Piggy's fame began to grow, nobody wanted to upset Peggy Lee, especially because we admired her work. So, the Muppet's name was shortened to Miss Piggy." —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

(Photos: Cindy Ord/Getty)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Willy Wonka from...Though he refused to dance for her, actor Johnny Depp did reveal the inspiration behind his 2005 version of the Willy Wonka character to talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. "The idea behind Willy Wonka — [there are] certain ingredients you add to these characters," the actor said. "Willy Wonka, for example, I imagined what George Bush would be like incredibly, incredibly stoned. And thus was born my version of Willy Wonka." —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

(Photos: Warner Bros, Getty Images)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Rocky Balboa fro...Many believe the inspiration behind Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky character was former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano, but that isn’t the case.

“I took the last of my entertainment money and went to see the Ali-Wepner fight on closed circuit TV. Chuck Wepner (pictured right), a battling, bruising club fighter who had never made the big time, was having his shot. It wasn't at all regarded as a serious battle. But as the fight progressed, this miracle unfolded. He hung in there,” Stallone explained. “People went absolutely crazy. Wepner was knocked out in the 15th and final round, almost lasting the distance. We had witnessed an incredible triumph of the human spirit and we loved it. That night, Rocky Balboa was born." —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

(Photos: Keystone/Getty, Charlie Kelley/AP)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Edward Scissorha...Depp also told Ellen about the inspiration behind his extremely odd character in "Edward Scissorhands."

"Scissorshands was a combination. It was the idea of like a newborn... like a newborn seeing things for the first time, and also a dog that I had," he said. "This dog that I had where [there was] this unconditional love, this sort of purity in my dog. Those were the basic ingredients." —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

(Photos: Twentieth Century Fox/iStock)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

The Dude from 'T...The Coen brothers took inspiration for their character Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski from film producer and political activist Jeff Dowd, a member of the anti-Vietnam War group known as the "Seattle Seven," who supposedly drank White Russians in his spare time. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

(Photos: AP Photo, Frazer Harrison/Getty)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

James BondAuthor Ian Flemming based his James Bond character on the one person he knew best: Himself. Flemming, who worked as a Naval Intelligence Officer during World War II, pulled from his own experiences as a spy to pen "Casino Royale" in 1952. The novel got the big-screen treatment in 2006 with Daniel Craig starring as 007. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

(Photos: AP Photo, Greg Williams/Getty)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Jack Sparrow fro...Willy and Edward weren't the first characters that Johnny sought inspiration for. For the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, the actor looked no further than Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.

"I sort of thought that pirates would be the rock and roll stars of the 18th century, you know?” Depp told a reporter from IGN. “Then, when you think of rock and roll stars, the greatest rock and roll star of all time, the coolest rock and roll star of all time, in my opinion, is Keith Richards. Hands down." Richards himself eventually joined the "Pirates" cast as Sparrow’s father. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

(Photos: Gareth Cattermole, Michael Stewart/Getty Images)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Don Vito Corleon...Contrary to popular belief, Vito Corleone, portrayed by both Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro in the film adaptations of “The Godfather” novel, was not inspired by a violent mob boss. The character is an incarnation of author Mario Puzo’s (pictured right) own mother. “Whenever the Godfather opened his mouth, in my own mind I heard the voice of my mother,” Puzo told Salon magazine in 1999. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

(Photos: (Paramount/AP Images)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

ZorroThe true inspiration behind the Zorro character can be traced back to folk icon Joaquin Murrieta, best known as the "Robin Hood of El Dorado". Murrieta and his gang, the Five Joaquins, were infamous for attacking settlers and wagon trains in California. The cause of his death and the place of his burial are heavily disputed. Antonio Banderas played the swashbuckler in the 1998 film "The Mask of Zorro" and the 2005 sequel "The Legend of Zorro." —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

(Photos: Sony/California State Library)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Frank Costello f...Jack Nicholson’s character Frank Costello was not based on a mobster of the same name. Costello was instead inspired by James "Whitey" Bulger (pictured right), the infamous Boston mob boss who occasionally spied for the FBI. After learning of his impending arrest, Bulger fled from Massachusetts in 1994, eluding authorities for decades. He was finally captured by police in Santa Monica, California in 2011 and remains in jail today. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff

(Photos: Warner Bros, FBI Handout/AP)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.